Who would want an Onigiri?
by Persica
Summary: Tohru's Grandfather has been hospitalized. Her relatives who don't like her living in a house full of men are getting a hold of her. randfather gives her a chance to get free from them for good, but can an outsaider be adopted to Sohma family?
1. Bad news

I never had even thought of writing fanfiction, on the contrary in fact. But here I am. It's my very first -and more than too likely my very last- fic and I have absolutely no idea what genre it's going to be. Gomenne! ^_^' If there is going to be romance -that would be the plan- it will be T/Y.  
  
I have seen the whole anime, and some 25 chapters of manga. To my great regret I have also read some spoilers at the Internet. I might be mixing some of the manga into this (like perhaps the boy with the cap) but I'll try to stick to the anime. Anyway, this might turn out a bit AUish.  
  
Oh, of course, the Disclaimer: I don't own FuruBa or any of the characters. I don't really need them as long as no one minds too much if I borrow them a bit. I would like to get the manga, though. But the plot is mine, don't steal, or I'll sue you! (if I find you...)  
  
Anyway, on with it:  
  
WHO WOULD WANT AN ONIGIRI?  
  
Chapter 1: BAD NEWS  
  
The bell rang and lesson was over. The pupils in the class 2-D of Kaibara High began putting their things away while the teacher announced, or well, shouted the homework over the low murmur that had filled the class.  
  
Honda Tohru had just put her books to her bag when their homeroom teacher showed up at the door. "Honda-san, would you please come to teacher's office. There's a call for you."  
  
She was vaguely aware that Yuki and Kyou Souma's heads shot up along with Hanajima Saki's and Uotani Arisa's. Only Yuki and Saki were fast enough to catch the flash of very un-Tohru-like expression flashing over the girls eyes but all of them knew what kind of memory this woke up in her.  
  
'No need to worry' Tohru thought to herself. 'Grandfather called me once to school when he told that the renovation was over.' That time they weren't at least supposed to be bad news. But now Grandfather did know the number to Shigure's house. Then who and why...?  
  
She followed the teacher to the office wondering of different possibilities. If someone from the Sohma's main house wanted to speak with her privately, would they try something like this? Or... A really nasty thought came to her mind. But no. What could have happened to her Grandfather? No matter her relatives were a bit nasty now and then, they wouldn't let anything happen to him. It had to be something else.  
  
But when the phone was pointed to her there was a nasty feeling in the bottom of her stomach. She lifted the receiver to her ear and felt her heart sink when she heard her aunt's voice...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Tohru walked slowly through the sliding door of the office, eyes on the ground. She was deep in her own world, looking worried. She closed the door behind herself and was abruptly snatched back to reality by the sudden surge of worried questions, all hitting her at the same second.  
  
"Waa, Tohru!" Began Arisa, who was half a second faster than the others. "What was it? You don't look yourself at all! Is there anything we can do? If someone needs to be put back to order you can leave that to me!"  
  
"Yes, Tohru-kun, what is it? We'll do anything," Saki added in her usual colourless voice, but deep worry could be seen in her eyes.  
  
"Tohru, hey, Tohru! Why do you look like that?" demanded Momiji's childish voice, all the usual joyfulness gone.  
  
"Is it something bad, Honda-san? We really want to be there for you if we can," said Yuki, deep concern in his soft, kind voice.  
  
Tohru looked hastily up to see her two best friends and all four Soumas that went to the same school. Yuki was standing right behind Arisa and Saki, looking extremely worried, Hatsuharu clinging in his usual way to Yuki's jacket but also looking at her. Momiji was jumping up and down on her side, not daring to hang to her arm just in case and Kyou stood a bit farther trying to hide his anxious expression with a scowl and failing miserably.  
  
"No, it's just- you see, my Grandfather got hospitalized but it should be all right..." Tohru did her best not to sound awfully worried about it. "It should... that's what my aunt said. But I'm going to skip my part-time job and see him right after school. Oh, I'll have to let them know I'm not going tonight..." she tried to add hastily.  
  
But her friends' expressions just grew more and more worried.  
  
"Don't worry about your work, I'll let them know!" Momiji said at once. "Just leave it to me!"  
  
"Okay, thank you so much!" Tohru answered a bright smile suddenly flashing to her face.  
  
"Take your time with your Grandfather. You don't need to make dinner today, we'll take care of ourselves. And if you stay late just call, and I'll come to walk you home," Yuki told her. His soothing voice made her feel a bit more at easy.  
  
"Are you absolutely sure? I don't think that's needed..."  
  
"Oh, it's no problem, really," Yuki assured her gently.  
  
"But-"  
  
"Cut out with that crap already!" Kyou snapped. "I'll make the dinner if those two idiots really can't take care of themselves. Even if I don't really care. You just go and don't try to think of everyone at the same time!"  
  
Tohru blinked in surprise but then smiled like a little sun. "Yes!"  
  
But when the bell ring and they turned back towards their class rooms, the worried look returned to her face. There was something she hadn't told them yet, namely why exactly had her Grandfather been hospitalized... Should she still leave right away just in case...  
  
"So there really still is something more, isn't there? I thought there might have," whispered someone softly at her ear. She swirled her head to look at Yuki's violet eyes that were looking at her closely.  
  
"No, it's all right. Really, don't worry!" she sweatdropped trying to laugh.  
  
But she knew she hadn't convinced Yuki at all and a glimpse of Kyou's face told her that Yuki wasn't only one who had seen through her. They were beginning to know her far too well for that.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The remaining two lessons seemed to drag on for at least a week each. Tohru couldn't concentrate att all, but at last the bell rang. She grabbed her bag waving to her friends in passing and was off.  
  
She had to take the train to get to the hospital. It was a big white and clean building, but somehow very dull looking. She ran up the stairs to the main entrance and stopped right before it, out of breath. Exhaling deeply she stepped in.  
  
She walked nervously through the hall to the elevators. The journey to the right floor seemed endless. Then the doors slide open and she stepped out. The white, clean corridor was almost empty and almost quiet. She winced at the sound of her own steps.  
  
Two more doors... Yes, this was it. Very cautiously she knocked on the door and heard her aunt's voice calling her in.  
  
Tsuzuku... (AN: means "to be continued..." You better get used to this.)  
  
Well, what did you like it? Was the chapter too short? I don't know what they will be in the future... ^_^' R&R, please. I'm sorry if someone was OOC, always tell me who and why, and I'll see what I can do.  
  
And does anybody know how the play "Fruits Basket" really goes? Or was it only created for the manga? I would love to know for I might need it later in the story - and just for fun, too. :)  
  
Mata ne! 


	2. A surprising suggestion

Oh my god! I have got reviews!!! I didn't really wait for them!  
  
Arigatou gozaimasuuu, mina-san!!! More detailed answers in the end.  
  
But how can I receive reviews from everyone and not only the other writers? I think it's really nasty towards the kind people who would leave the review that they cannot do that. I'm very sorry, everyone! Before I became registered I was really annoyed with people who wanted more reviews but didn't let everyone leave them. And now I can't find out how to let everyone review... I'll be blushing when someone tells that it was that and that button that I didnt see...  
  
But now I have blabbered more than enough and you are more interested in the story than my problems, right?  
  
Disclaimer: I'm not Takaya Natsuki, in other words I don't own "Fruits Basket" nor any of the characters. I'm fine by that as long as I can borrow them a bit. I would like to add the original manga to my library, though.  
  
And some explanation on the text: (me and my English... _' Sorry.)  
  
"speaking"  
  
'thinking'  
  
~flashback~  
  
WHO WOULD WANT AN ONIGIRI?  
  
Chapter 2: A SURPRISING SUGGESTION  
  
The Venetian blinds were down and the room was dim. Her aunt sat by Grandfather's bed, looking very unpleased.  
  
"Good afternoon, Auntie. How is Grandfather?" Tohru asked in a hussed voice.  
  
"You really couldn't come any faster? It would seem like you don't care at all!" her aunt snapped at her sounding like she would have been a lot happier if Tohru hadn't come at all. But she, too, spoke very quietly.  
  
"I'm very sorry," Tohru answered looking at her shoes and remembering very clearly this same woman telling her only few hours earlier not to skip school for this.  
  
She didn't dare to sit down but went to stand beside the bed. Grandfather seemed to be sleeping peacefully. But in the morning this same old man had... He had had a heart attack. That she hadn't yet had the courage to tell her more-than-over-protective friends.  
  
"His condition is stabile, or so they say. He was even awake for some time about a half an hour ago," Tohru's aunt told. Something in her voice was a bit different, a bit softer. Tohru had to hide her small smile.   
  
~"Even a family like this is dear to me, this is my place. Even if they say some nasty things, I can bear it"~  
  
This was what her Grandfather had told her when she had returned to his house after renovation -right before Yuki and Kyou had appeared and taken her back to Shigure's house. Yes, these people were nasty sometimes but they, too, cared for Grandfather.  
  
She sat down on the other side of the bed. Neither spoke a word anymore. They sat that way for a few hours, in silence, not moving.  
  
The door opened behind Tohru and when she turned to look she saw her older cousin. She jumped up and bowed in greeting. "Good afternoon."  
  
"Oh, hi. You are here too, Tohru-chan? Haven't you got part-time job and that house to look after?" he answered turning then to his mother. "How's the old man?"  
  
"Asleep. He should be getting better soon. The doctor said he could come home next week. But..." she trailed off.  
  
"So, at least a few days without that old man in the corners. What more?" Tohru tried hard to detect any trace of worry in her cousin's voice. Nothing.  
  
"Well, he also said that Grandpa is already very old. There might be a next time and there might be less luck then..."  
  
"So he might...?" even the young man seemed a bit anxious now. The only answer was a slow nod.  
  
Tohru felt her heart throb. No, that couldn't happen. Yes, he was old but also very healthy. But still... Her head seemed to be empty, only fear of loosing someone close again lurked in the back, unconsciously held there by some defence system. And then something else occurred to her. No, no... That would make everything even worse.  
  
Her aunt woke her from her desperate thoughts, but her words weren't dedicated to her son. "Where's your sister? We have some things to discuss about."  
  
"She had something important with her club so she couldn't come. She said it'll be late when she returns so she'll come tomorrow to see the old one."  
  
"What can be so important that she couldn't come to see Grandpa after a heart attack! Well, it can't be helped."  
  
She turned to look at Tohru with suddenly very serious expression. "You must understand that if the worst happens, the matter of your guardianship will be at hand again."  
  
Tohru nodded quietly. Of course, if there was something to make things even worse, it was this.  
  
"As you know, no one is really interested in you, but now I have thought of taking the post of your guardian if needed." Both Tohru's and her cousin's heads shot up. "Of course that would mean that you move back to our house and live with us as any decent girl. Really, I can't understand why Grandpa lets you live with those men in the middle of forest!"  
  
The words hit on Tohru like a hammer. She had known it might have gone to this but really hearing it was different. 'But it's only if Grandfather dies and the doctor says that shouldn't happen. And his death is worse than leaving Yuki-kun and the others. I still can meet them at school. They would still be alive...'  
  
"In fact," her aunt continued, "you would be better to move back home now so you can help to take care of Grandpa. He's as much your relative as ours."  
  
Tohru didn't answer. Yes, her aunt might be right. But...   
  
~She was standing in the hall of Grandfather's house. He was speaking: "Still, you don't have to stay here and bear it. If there is a place where you would like to go instead of this, you can go there"~  
  
No, she was being selfish. If she would be needed it might be better to go back. But she was needed at Souma's, too...  
  
"Oh, how ungrateful girl!" Tohru's aunt sniffed. "Well, I have sat here the whole day and now I'm hungry. Would you sit here while I'll go to the cafeteria downstairs?" It wasn't really a question.  
  
"I'll go too," said her son. "I haven't eaten since noon, either."  
  
"Well, then I'll sit here and watch over Grandfather," Tohru said. "I'm not in hurry so take your time."  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot. Here is a letter for you, since your post still comes to our place," her aunt said handing over an envelope. "Well then, see you," She said closing the door behind them.  
  
Tohru was surprised. She never got letters. The sender's name seemed vaguely familiar but she couldn't place it...  
  
"At last they left. I was wondering if I had to find an excuse to send them away."  
  
Tohru looked up to see her Grandfather smile at her. "You were awake?"  
  
"I'm sorry of all the trouble this is causing you," the old man said sadly and bit more weakly. "I would prefer if you didn't need to have too much to do with them."  
  
"No, no! It's no problem at all! I'm just glad it wasn't worse than this. And I'm really glad to meet you again. I should come to see you more often anyway. And-"  
  
"Thank you for worrying about me but right now you are the one who is in real danger."  
  
Tohru's eyes widened.  
  
"Yes, I'm old already and everyone has to go someday. I have been happy, I'm happy now and there's no reason why I wouldn't be that to the end. But you are young, you have everything before yourself. You are happy now, am I right?"  
  
"Yes, I am. But-"  
  
"I don't want that happiness to be taken from you. You have been through enough already. From now on I'll be more under their power. I'm your guardian so same goes to you and I want to prevent that." He kept a short pause but Tohru didn't say anything. "So, that family you are living with. You have told of them before but would you now do it again? Tell me what your life is like with them?"  
  
"I- well, they are wonderful, the Soumas. I live with Yuki-kun, who was on my class to begin with, and his two cousins, Kyou-kun and Shigure-san. Kyou-kun is really good at martial arts and he can cook too. Shigure-san is a novellist. I and Kyou-kun came to the house about the same time. Yuki-kun and Shigure-san aren't so good at house keeping and since I needed a place to stay I become kind of housekeeper for them. But now..."  
  
"Yes?" asked he Grandfather with gentle smile.  
  
"No, it's nothing. And then the other Soumas, Momiji-kun and Hatsuharu-san and Kagura-san and Hatori-san. They are all so nice. Momiji-kun and Hatsuharu-san..." she continued but deep in her mind she kept thinking what she almost had said aloud. 'Now it's almost like I had become part of the family.' But no, that would be rude, even if it seemed to be true.  
  
She spoke of Kisa, Hiro and Ritsu and Ritsu's mother and what her life was like and how nice and caring everyone was. Her Grandfather listened eyes shut but made a small remark every now and then to show that he was awake and listening. At last he said:   
  
"I'm happy for you, not everyone find a place like that nor have they as well deserved it." Tohru blushed at that but before she could say anything Grandfather continued. "It seems to me that you are almost the part of family there. Do you think any of them would adopt you?"  
  
It took a few seconds from Tohru to understand the full meaning of the old man's words. Adopt, to be adopted to Souma family... But it was impossible, even if someone would be willing to take her, what would Akito say? The Souma family head she had confronted so recently... She still didn't know what he thought of her now.  
  
"I-" she began but when she saw her grandfathers face she just said, "But is it really all right? You have never met anybody except Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun. And now just..."  
  
"Of course I'm not throwing you out. If you don't want to be adopted to that family no one is going to force you. I'm just giving you a possibility to get away from these no-good relatives. It's best for you to live where you can open your arms wide, remember?" he said.  
  
"I'll ask what they think," she sighed, still feeling dazzled.  
  
"Do that. And the faster the better. You trust them so I'll do that too but I do want to meet your new family. Could they come over tomorrow? If possible I would like to begin the adopting process on Friday so my daughter won't have time to react against it. As for your new guardian, I trust your judgement but if that person is clearly very decent and trustworthy, it would take the edge away from your aunts complains."  
  
Tohru just nodded, her thoughts were far away in the future. If Akito would approve, who would -who could- be her new guardian? She didn't really know closely any older Soumas. Would anybody want her? An onigiri in a fruit basket, that was what she had always been. How in future?  
  
The door opened and her aunt and cousin came in. "Oh, Grandpa, you are awake? She didn't wake you did she?" asked her aunt throwing a frown at Tohru.  
  
"No, she would never do that. I was really happy to wake up and find her by my bedside. We have had a nice little talk about everything," Grandfather smiled. "Tohru-san is so sweet and good girl."  
  
"Perhaps she should come back home to help now that you aren't so good," his daughter suggested meaningfully.  
  
"That won't be needed, I'm not bedridden," the old man answered. "And we shouldn't interfere with Tohru-san's life. She is almost adult already and very wise for her age."  
  
"But is Tohru-chan really all right with those men? Wise or not, how is she paying her keep?" asked Tohru's cousin, his tone even more meaningful than his mother's had been earlier.  
  
"You are being rude as always. Would you for once speak about her so that I didn't need to be ashamed of you?" Grandfather answered frowning at him. Before the young man nor his mother could argue he turned to Tohru. "I'm sorry, they are getting at it again. It's late so perhaps you should get going. Your home isn't so close, is it?"  
  
"I told them I might be late so it's really no problem," she assured hastily.  
  
"I'm glad you came and have been here so long, Tohru-san, but you must have homework for tomorrow and you haven't eaten. Come again tomorrow as we agreed and I'll be more than happy. For the actual time, 4 o'clock would be good, but take my rooms phone number from the counter and call if it's not all right."  
  
"Well, perhaps I'll go then," Tohru said. "Take care, Grandfather, I'll come over tomorrow."  
  
"Be careful on the way home. I'll see you tomorrow, then," Grandfather said warmly. "I'll be waiting."  
  
"Good night," Tohru said bowing and opening the door. Once outside she leaned her back on the door and exhaled deeply. The clock on the opposite wall showed quarter to seven. The Grandfather's words rang through her head: 'Do you think any of them would adopt you?'  
  
She was still not attending to the real world as she stepped from the elevator on the ground floor. She walked like in a dream through the entrance hall. Adopted, adopted, adopted...  
  
"Honda-kun."  
  
She snapped back to the reality and swirled around to see a long man with dark hair that almost entirely covered his left eye walking towards her. "A, Hatori-san! Good evening! How come you are here?" she asked, surprised.  
  
"Although I mostly only take care of the Soumas and Akito, I sometimes attend some meetings and conferences. I also have to get medicines and such every now and then but tonight it was a meeting," the Souma family doctor explained. "May I ask what you are doing here?"  
  
"My Grandfather was hospitalized this morning and I came to see him. I'm on my way home now."  
  
"I'm going to same direction so I could take you home by car," he offered.  
  
"No, thank you. I really appreciate your offer but I don't want to cause any trouble." she answered hastily.  
  
"It won't be any trouble. I'll be driving almost past Shigure's house anyway," Hatori assured. "And Yuki won't like it if you go by train if you could come with me."  
  
"You might be right," she smiled. "If it really isn't any trouble for you..."  
  
"No, it isn't. Besides, it's raining outside and you don't seem to have an umbrella," he said with a hint of smile.  
  
"Well..." sha began, blushing, but then she, too, smiled. "Thank you!"  
  
Just as they exited the hospital the doors of the elevator opened and Tohru's cousin stepped out. He saw the girl's back and raised his eyebrows. Who was that man who held an umbrella over the both of them? What age was he? What would Grandpa say when he heard?  
  
Tsuzuku...  
  
It's Wednesday and the layer would be coming on Friday. Wow, that's fast. I know it sounds really fast but we have to remember that the Grandfather might get a new heart attack and that this is a fic. I don't know much about adopting but the whole thing with all the paperwork is going to take weeks. I'll skip a lot of the legal stuff for it would only be boring and I couldn't get it right anyway.  
  
I was planning to have a bit more told in this chapter, but I think it's long enough already and I haven't got time to write more now, so perhaps you are just happy with this as it is. I'll try to update soon!  
  
Does anybody know the names of her relatives? I really would need that knowledge!  
  
And before anybody comes to argue, the flashbacks might be 'cut' if the whole conversation isn't needed.  
  
LADY KARA: Thank you! You have been of so much help! And I'm glad you liked it. I'll try my best to update often but my school will be starting one of these days... ^_^'  
  
FRIEND OF SHIPPOU: Thanks! Short but clear. I'll do my best from now on too. I hope you'll keep reading.  
  
SKYA2: You are giving me too much credit. It's not that good! But thank you so much anyway! Here is a new chapter and it's longer too! I got the FuruBa manga from my friend on CD as scanlation. Haven't found more yet. *sniff sniff* T_T But I really would like to read the original Japanese version! There's always something lost when a book (or a comic) is translated, and with Japanese even more so. Did you know Japanese has got no related languages at all?  
  
Mata ne! 


	3. But who would?

I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry it has taken so long time to update but the school began and one of the teachers had apparently decided to drown as many students as possible to the homework already on the first metres. But I lived through it! (Partly with the power of your encouraging reviews. No old and nasty teacher will get me as long as I have people waiting me to continue my story!)  
  
Wow, still no flamers! I was waiting only for those when I posted the first chappy and now people keep telling me how interesting and unique my story is! Mina-san, I can't thank you enough! *handles around little zodiac-shaped chocolates*  
  
And thanks to Runic Knight-san for telling how to enable everyone to review this! I was right, it was way too easy (and I had looked through the settings ^_^'). I'm blushing as I promised. :)  
  
Damn, I forgot to tell that Tohrus new Guardian will be revealed in this chapter. I could have almost killed you with suspense and curiosity and I missed my chance! I never get to tease people. T_T  
  
But perhaps that's not so important. I just hope you will enjoy the story!  
  
Some have already given guesses on the new guardian. All have gone to Hatori but I won't tell yet. No, no, you'll have to read on!  
  
Waa, the disclaimer, the disclaimer! Refer to the previous chapter today. I'll try to write it all over next time I update.  
  
Oh, if you need explanation for these, here you are:  
  
"speaking"  
  
'thinking'  
  
~flashback~  
  
WHO WOULD WANT AN ONIGIRI?  
  
Chapter 3: BUT WHO WOULD?  
  
The car strolled steadily on the big streets of Tokyo. Its hum was soothing and abruptly Tohru felt very tired and forlorn. She sat beside Hatori looking down at her hands.  
  
She had told Grandfather that she would ask if the Soumas would adopt her, but now it seemed impossible, absolutely hopeless task. She already owed so much to them. How could she ask something as rude. What had made her to promise Grandfather that she would do that?  
  
But she knew the answer. The look on his face when he had asked if they would adopt her… He had looked so old and fragile and worried. Worried of her and her future, the granddaughter he cared so much and was responsible of. He wanted to let her be happy and was doing everything to let it be so even if something happened to him. She had to ask, even if only for him. But it would still be hard-  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by Hatori's low, steady voice. "Why was your Grandfather in hospital, if I may ask?"  
  
"It was- well, I mean..." Hatori threw her a bit thoughtful gaze but dropped the actual topic.  
  
"Will he get home sometime soon?" He asked instead.  
  
"Yes, it seems he can return home already on next week," she answered suddenly finding her smile again.  
  
"I was just wondering. You seem so worried, is there something else?"  
  
"No, not real-" she began, but then hung her head again. Abruptly she was sick of telling people everything was all right even when it wasn't. Words that Kyou once had said protruded from her memory.  
  
~"There's nothing wrong being selfish every now and then. It's all right to show your weak side."~  
  
Hatori would get tangled to this anyway, so... "Hatori-san, are you busy tonight?"  
  
"No, I haven't got anything special to do since even Akito seems to be more or less in good shape. He has been better since you met him."  
  
"Would you have time to stop at Shigure's, too?" she asked, trying to hide her surprise caused by his words. Akito had been better since then...? "There are things I need to talk about with everyone and it might be good if you were there to hear them, too."  
  
"Fine by me," he answered simply but the unsaid 'So, there was something wrong' hung between them for the rest of the ride.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Tadaima, kaerimashita" Tohru called. (AN: This is the way Tohru always announces her return. Normally people only say "tadaima" that means something like "I'm home" but she also adds "kaerimashita", "I have returned". I preferred to use it like this because if translated it sounds a bit funny, at least to my ear. On with it!)  
  
"Okaerinasai, Honda-san, did you get wet?" Yuki said a trace of worry in his voice, emerging from the inner parts of the house. "A, Hatori, it's been a while."  
  
"Good evening," his cousin answered in his usual taciturn way.  
  
"I met Hatori-san at the hospital and he was kind enough to give me a ride home so I'm perfectly dry," Tohru told happily, but her mind was quite the opposite.  
  
"Oh, thank you for taking care of her," Yuki said smiling. Then he looked a bit more closely at Tohru and frowned.  
  
"Have you eaten anything?" came Kyou's voice from behind him.  
  
"E?"  
  
"Have you eaten anything? We have."  
  
"Well, I was at Grandfather's room all the time so..."  
  
"You do look a bit pale. You should eat something right away," Yuki said, clearly worried this time.  
  
"I'll make something for myself. Hatori-san, are you hungry?"  
  
"Don't bother," Kyou said turning to go to kitchen. "I'll warm the soup from earlier."  
  
"Soup?" Tohru asked. She could have sworn they hadn't eaten soup for a few days.  
  
"Kyou made us dinner tonight because he had promised to you to do that," Yuki explained amusedly, then went serious again. "But you really should look a bit more after yourself."  
  
"Aa, Ha-san! Welcome, welcome! Come sit down, it's been a while since I have seen you. Had a lot of work?" Shigure exclaimed happily coming to the hall.  
  
"Yes," was the only answer.  
  
"By the way," Shigure continued escorting his childhood-friend to the sitting room. "Don't the two of them seem like over-caring mothers when it comes to Tohru-kun-"  
  
"Shut up, old man!" shouted Kyou from kitchen as the newest of Shigure's books hit the novelist on the head, thrown by Yuki.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Soon all five were sitting around the table in the sitting room. A cup of soup was steaming in front of Tohru. She stared down at it but didn't touch it. Everyone else was staring at her, waiting for her to begin. Now she would have to tell everything...  
  
"Well, how should I begin...?" she started, still looking down.  
  
"So, your Grandfather was taken to hospital in the morning?" asked Shigure helpfully, playing with his fan. "That's all I know so start with that. Could you now tell why?"  
  
"He... he had a heart attack," she said quietly. Everyone seemed shocked.  
  
"But why didn't you say it right away?" Yuki demanded, frowning.  
  
"You were just trying to keep us from being too worried over you, right?" Kyou more stated than asked.  
  
"Well, I... I just..." she tried to explain, looking around at the worried expressions and feeling her cheeks grow unpleasantly warm.  
  
"That aside, how is he now?" Hatori asked in his normal emotionless way, lighting up a cigarette.   
  
"Saving the princess, are you? Ha-san, you old-" Shigure began.  
  
"Shut up and listen to Honda-san!" Yuki snapped. "Yes, how is he?" he then encouraged her gently.  
  
"He is lot better already. We had a long talk and he should be getting home next week," she explained smiling but then became serious again. "It's about that conversation we had that I want to speak about..." she trailed off and looked down again. Then she rose her face again and met everyone's eyes. Worried, listening, waiting. She went on in a very small voice. "You see, the doctor has said that although he has always been very healthy, he is already old, so... There might be a next time and there might be less luck then..." she fell silent again.  
  
"And?" Kyou and Yuki asked anxiously, without even noticing they had done it in one.  
  
"Well, as you know, my other relatives don't exactly like the fact that I'm living here." At this Hatori's and Shigure's brows raised, apparently they hadn't known. "Now they are trying to get me back there. My aunt already suggested that I returned there to help to take care of Grandfather." Now all her listeners except Hatori seemed horrified. "Grandfather opposed but if... If the worst happens my aunt is planning to take my guardianship... And then..."  
  
"We need you here! They just pick on you and I wouldn't be surprised if they used you as a servant there!" Kyou exclaimed angrily jumping up, fists clenched. Tohru felt a nasty sting at his good guess. When you thought how she had been treated...  
  
"I'm glad I can be of help here and I'm really happy that you think I'm useful here," she said smiling radiantly at him.  
  
"No problem," he mumbled flustering a bit and dropping back down.  
  
"But does that mean that you will have to leave us?" Yuki asked quietly, she almost jumped at the pain in his voice and eyes.  
  
"Well, I- as I said my grandfather and already before that, when we were alone, he asked... He didn't want me to be forced to go back..." her voice turned to whisper and faded.  
  
Everyone waited in silence.   
  
She took a deep breath. "He asked if anybody from the Souma family would adopt me."  
  
The silence was perfect. Everyone around the table took in the information. Emotions flickered through the two boys' faces. Utter amazement replaced by disbelief, next somewhat slow understanding, then they got hold of themselves and hid the turbulence inside. Shigure went through only half of the scale before at least seemingly calming and Hatori's face didn't even twitch. Or had his brows made an almost imperceptibly small movement...? Tohru didn't know. She just sat there, looking at them and then couldn't take it anymore and lowered her gaze to the not-more-so-warm soup. She still hadn't touched it.  
  
"We'll have to ask Akito." Hatori said at last, breaking the untouched silence.  
  
"You are actually going to ask him?!" Yuki exclaimed jumping up. "You can't mean you really would consider it possible-" he stopped dead when his eyes accidentally met Tohru's bewildered ones.   
  
"No, I don't mean I wouldn't want you to the family," he said breathing heavily. "On the contrary, but-" he paused for an instant when he understood what he had said, slight red rising to his cheeks, "but being part of Sohma family, even without the curse, means being under Akito's control. That's just... just too... too dangerous..." he trailed off and dropped back down.  
  
"But if Tohru-kun told this to us, won't that mean that she has considered this part, too?" asked Shigure in a low voice, his trademark smile (the cunning one) on. "She knows our secret and our ways and accepts them."  
  
"But she doesn't know everything," Yuki insisted. "It- I don't want more people shut inside this vicious circle! Especially not Honda-san. She has been through more than anybody should!"  
  
"Well, what do you think yourself?" Hatori said calmly, looking straight at Tohru. "You already know a lot but Yuki is right, you don't know everything. Would you still want to become part of this family? Would you do such a sacrifice to stay with these people? You have been warned, what is your answer?"  
  
Tohru looked back, eye to eye. Only she understood the full meaning behind his words. The day closer a year ago when he had called her to the Main House...  
  
~"The Souma family, being cursed by the vengeful spirits, isn't as happy place as you think. It's mysterious, dark... and cursed."~  
  
But she had stayed that time, without knowing even half of what she knew now. These people were dear to her, everyone here was dear to her. She would rather die than leave this place. Being here under Akito's control was better than being under his relatives' control. No matter it might be hard, perhaps she would get a chance to learn to understand the Soumas better by sharing some of their pain and suffering, perhaps they would have it a bit easier if there would be one more person to share it. 'Mother, look over me. I know this is where I belong!'  
  
"Yes. No matter what, I want to stay here," she answered in clear voice, without any hesitation.  
  
Yuki, Shigure and Kyou, who had been silent since her announcement, gaped at her. It was sure they had known her answer, but they still couldn't belive it.  
  
"Very well, I expected you would say that," Hatori stated. A slight but perhaps a bit sad smile played on the corner of his mouth.  
  
Tohru smiled back but then went serious again. "There's something more. Grandfather thought that my aunt might try to interfere with this, so he would prefer a person that would clearly be very decent and trustworthy. And he would also like to begin the adopting process as soon as possible."  
  
"And that would be?" Hatori asked.  
  
"Friday, if ever possible."  
  
"That's day after tomorrow!" Kyou blurted, apparently finding his tongue again.  
  
"Yes, and he would like to meet my new guardian and family tomorrow at four o'clock, if you have time. But that's so soon, really. If someone really would adopt me it would already be too great a honour," she explained hurriedly. "You can take your time with everything. Being rude enough to even ask something like this-"  
  
"Quite a tight timetable we have here," Hatori stated thoughtfully, ignoring her. He glanced at his watch. "Half past eight. We'll have just and just the time to go to meet Akito. He has been up late nowadays."  
  
Tohru had hard time believing her ears. "Already tonight?" asked Yuki and Kyou together dressing her thoughts up to words.  
  
"Yes, but we still have some things to speak about."  
  
"Who exactly will be her new guardian, right?" Shigure asked, hiding his smirk with the fan. "Any ideas?"  
  
Everyone looked very thoughtful, except Shigure whose smug expression told clearly that he had a very interesting idea but he wasn't going to share it with them just yet. "How about Kisa's mother?" asked Yuki at last. "She knows Honda-san and Kisa's so found of her, too."  
  
"Ooh, Yuki-kun, I would have expected something better from you," Shigure answered in a pitying way.  
  
"Who are you thinking then, Shigure?" Hatori asked. "No jokes."  
  
"Ha-san, how can you say something like that?" the novellist moaned. "I'm always very serious!"  
  
Hatori seemed too annoyed to answer so Kyou snapped: "Okay, who is it?!"  
  
"You really can't guess?" Shigure beamed with self-satisfaction.  
  
"Just say it!" Hatori groaned, trying to keep his face straight.  
  
"You, of course!" (AN: There you have it! Bwahahahahaaa!) Shigure was so pleased with himself that if the lights had gone out he would likely have been self-luminous. Tohru was speechless.  
  
"WHAT!" blurted Kyou.  
  
"You are kidding!" Yuki exclaimed.  
  
"I told you not to joke," Hatori said in a voice that made the room temperature drop some 20 grades.  
  
"No, I'm not!" his childhood friend opposed, looking very hurt. Then he went to his half-chibi mode. "Of course I would be more than happy to step in line myself, but-"  
  
"Don't even think of it, you pervert!" Kyou bellowed.  
  
"Shut up, Shigure!" Yuki snarled.  
  
"As you see, they would rather loose her than let me take her under my protective wing," whined Shigure leaking over with self-pity meanwhile the boys fumed with anger and mumbled something extremely rude under their breaths.  
  
Tohru sweatdropped.  
  
"Anyway, at least I didn't suggest Ayame-"  
  
"Don't you dare to mix him to this!" Yuki screamed, losing his temper completely.   
  
Then he exhaled deeply, trying to calm down. When he continued only violet and white aura of flames and the tight and threatening tone of his voice indicated that he hadn't succeeded too well. "If my brother finds out about this before Honda-san is safely under some decent person's guardianship, and you have any part in informing him, I'll cook you slowly on a slow fire..." (AN: If you think about Yuki's cooking abilities, he could not have come up with much more horrible threat... LOL)  
  
Shigure sweatdropped. Yuki could be terribly menacing when he got to the right humour.  
  
"More ideas? Or are I and Kisa's mother the only candidates for now?" Hatori cut in.  
  
"You would...?" blurted Tohru.  
  
"There aren't so many possibilities, are there?"  
  
"But really, it's so great a bother..."  
  
"You aren't really a person who would cause any trouble," the doctor soothed her putting out his cigarette. "I don't relly mind. The problem is just-"  
  
"Haa-saan youu henntaaaiii!" Shigure sang loud.  
  
"Shigure, you better shut your big mouth when you still are allowed to do it yourself..." Hatori's fists had clenched ominously. The doctor was really close to the edge.  
  
"Oh, Ha-san, don't be so irritated! You seem extremely stressed. I thought you had it easier now," Shigure blabbered joyfully.  
  
"Anyway," Hatori continued. "The problem is my age. I'm barely ten years older than you, in other words quite young to be a 17-years old girl's guardian. Therefore I'd try to go to Kisa's mother."  
  
"You are right. But we'll have to get going." Yuki remarked. "Honda-san, you should change before we leave. You are still in your school uniform."  
  
"Oh? Yes, I'll be back in no time." Tohru left the room but stopped when she was halfway up the stairs. She heard Hatori's voice.  
  
"Are you two sure that you want to go there, too," he was saying.  
  
"Yes," came Yuki's answer, without a trace of hesitation.  
  
"We are," said Kyou, the same tone behind his words.  
  
"Okay, it's your own decision. I'll go to start the car," Hatori stated getting up and heading for the hall.  
  
"Isn't it cute how unanimous they are when it comes to Tohru-kun?" she heard Shigure's voice following on his heels. "And they really keep claiming that they hate each other even if they aren't really convincing anyone anymore..."  
  
"Shigure, you-" Kyou's angry voice began.  
  
She felt a little smile grow on her face when she hurried up the rest of the stairs. She had lived with these people for over a year. She had learnt to care for them as they were her real family. No matter how hard it would be, she wanted to become part of their family for real. She was going to do her very best.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The ride was quiet, even Shigure didn't talk nonsense. No one else was to be seen as they stepped out of the car on the yard of Souma Main House. The rain had stopped and clear stars were twinkling in the gaps between the clouds.  
  
"I want you three to wait here," said Hatori.  
  
"But shouldn't at least I-" Tohru began, surprised.  
  
"No, stay here and keep quiet. The less people see you, the better. Shigure, we are going now." Hatori said leaving no space for complaints. Nasty memories of one special meeting with Akito from the years ago were rolling through his mind.  
  
"Aye, aye, captain!" the other man smiled. "You two look after Tohru-kun and don't take advantage of her!"  
  
"Get going already, so we don't need to watch that you don't do that!" Kyou growled angrily.  
  
Shigure waved his hand as the two men left the youngsters standing in the shadows close to the main gate.  
  
"How exactly are you going to present this to him?" asked Shigure when they were outside hearing range.  
  
"As it is. But I will take the case of exact guardian up very carefully."  
  
"That would certainly be the best."  
  
Twenty minutes later the watch on Hatori's wrist showed 21.30 and they were sitting in seiza (kneeling position, a Japanese word) on Akito's room. The head of Souma family was laying just outside the open slide door. Hatori had just finished explaining the situation and why they were in such a hurry with it, but leaving the most delicate point out for the time being. Now they waited watching anxiously at Akito's stiffened shoulders.  
  
"Adopt?" repeated the young man after a long pause. "Adopt!"  
  
It seemed for a moment that he was going to fly into a rage, but then he relaxed. "Adopted to Souma family...?" His body began to shake with quiet laughter.  
  
"Very well," he said in a way that made Hatori think of taking back the offer. "let's adopt her! A new cousin..." Again his shoulders shook. "Of course she will have to change her name to Souma and likely live with her closest family." Slowly he rose up and walked into the room halting before them, still facing the wall on their right. Hatori felt a shiver run down his spine when he caught a glimpse of Akito's grin. No matter what he had said earlier, he had to admit Yuki had been very, very right about the danger. The boy who had perhaps the most horrible experiences of Akito's twisted personality...  
  
"Have you thought of who could be the new guardian?"  
  
"We haven't got any very good ideas as for now," the doctor answered, deciding to stall as much as possible.  
  
"You are in quite a hurry with it," Akito sniggered. "Inform me when you have got any better idea. The meeting was at 4 o'clock, wasn't it? I'm expecting you to have found the suitable person by noon. I'll be waiting you then."  
  
"We'll have the answer by 12 o'clock tomorrow," promised Shigure from beside Hatori.  
  
"Good, go now. I'm tired," Akito said wearily turning his back to them.  
  
"Thank you and good night," Hatori said gratefully.  
  
"Good night," echoed Shigure smiling. "We are grateful. I'll drop by one of these days."  
  
"Do that. Now, you are dismissed."  
  
The visitors got up, bowed and exited in silence. Akito watched them go from the corner of his eye. When the door had shut behind them he turned and walked back outside. That girl would be adopted to their family, she would be one of them, one of his little dolls. Everyone had to do to his bidding, so would she. Now he would really be able to show her what it was like to be a Souma. An evil smile played on his lips. If he wasn't completely wrong this girl was also Yuki's weak point. This would be interesting... No one would could disobey him and then be happy.  
  
He swirled around and strode in calling: "Kureno, Kureno! I'm going to bed."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Neither of them said anything before they got out of the building and the fresh evening air cleaned by the rain earlier blew on their faces. The moon shone down from the now completely cleared sky.  
  
"That went quite smoothly, don't you think?" Shigure broke the tense silence. "Although that might not be only a good thing in the end."  
  
"You don't sound too worried, do you?" stated Hatori. He didn't like the tone of the other's voice. And he knew him far too well to really trust him when he was like that. "Are you in same plot with Akito or have you got some plans of your own?"  
  
Shigure just laughed his most secretive laugh and Hatori knew better than to go on questioning so they walked on in silence.  
  
They were halfway to the gate where the youngsters were waiting when someone called to them in a low voice. They halted and turned to look at the tall man, clothed in a yukata, who had raised his hand to a greeting.  
  
"Kazuma-dono, It's been a while!" Shigure said heartily. "How's it been lately?"  
  
"Good evening," Hatori greeted the older man.  
  
"Good evening to you two, too. I'm doing well, thank you. I have made some renovation at the dojo but it's almost ready," the karate master answered friendly coming up to them. "How's Kyou? He has come over sometimes to help with the repairs but now I haven't heard of him for over a week."  
  
"Oh, he's fine. They have just had a lot of homework lately and Kyou really is a painstaking student. He won't admit that, of course," Shigure smirked and Kazuma laughed his low, friendly laugh. "But if you want to see him you can come with us. The youths are protecting the princess by the gate."  
  
"Really, how come they are here at this time? Is there something wrong?" Kazuma asked, suddenly worried.  
  
"You might say so," Hatori answered. "But they are waiting for us so we'll explain when walking."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Kyou was sitting up on the top of the gate. In the shadows under it Tohru and Yuki stood leaning to the wall. Tohru had Yuki's light jacket on her shoulders. He had got her to take it after ten minutes of persuading. The autumn was coming and nights were beginning to be chilly.  
  
"Are you sure you aren't cold?" Tohru asked for at least fifteenth time. "It's a lot more dangerous for you to get a flu than it's to me so you really should take this back!" she insisted tugging the cloth.  
  
"Otherwise than you I'm not cold without it so you can be at easy, Honda-san," Yuki answered gently. "And you haven't even eaten properly today. Everyone forgot completely your soup."  
  
"Just let him get a cold if he wants to," Kyou threw from the roof.  
  
"No one asked anything from you, Bakaneko!" Yuki answered coldly.  
  
"She hadn't taken it if I hadn't backed you up so keep your damn mouth shut!" came the answer. "If you want to keep warm I'm ready for fight anytime, sissy boy!"  
  
"You are always so keen to get beaten up," the grey-haired boy said coolly taking a few steps forward and turning to look up to his challenger.  
  
"I dare you to say that again!"  
  
"You are always so keen to get beaten up."  
  
"You-"  
  
"There they are! But it's three of them," Tohru exclaimed hushedly. The boys turned to look at the closing trio.  
  
"Yo, Shisho!" Kyou yelled in a low voice and jumped down.  
  
"Thank god it wasn't Niisan," Tohru heard Yuki sighing from under his breath.  
  
"Hi, Kyou, Yuki. Good evening, Tohru-san. I happened to meet these two and got to know some really interesting news," Kazuma smiled. "I hope you good luck."  
  
"Thank you, Shishou-san!" Tohru answered happily. She really liked Kyou's guardain. 'Oh, yes, Kyou-kun is adopted, too...'  
  
"Good evening, shihan," Yuki greeted politely and turned then to the two other men. "How did it go?"  
  
"Akito gave his approval. But she will have to change her name to Souma and perhaps live with the nuclear family that adopts her." answered Hatori.  
  
"Is it decided who will...?" Yuki began but didn't end the sentence. Kyou frowned and Tohru's heart pounded twice as fast as normally. If she would have to move out of Shigure's and live close to or in the Main House...  
  
"No, he just told us to inform him when we have found a suitable person." Shigure said.  
  
"So, who are the candidates for now?" Kyou put in.  
  
"We only have the Hatori and Kisa's mother plans at the moment and the latter doesn't even know anything yet, so we are up to any new ideas," Shigure said. "Of course, I would still be overjoyed to take her myself. To have her call me 'Papa'-"  
  
"Don't even joke about it, you old pervert!!!" snapped Yuki and Kyou at once in perfect unison.  
  
"I might have an suggestion," Kazuma said in a low, thoughtful voice. Everyone looked at him, surprised.  
  
"Go on, as you see we aren't relly getting on with this," Shigure said smiling his trademark smile (the cunning one again, I think).  
  
"Kyou, what would you think of a little sister?" Kazuma asked in his quiet, peaceful way.  
  
Everyone gaped at him. For a long time no one said a word.  
  
Thoughts run through Kyou's head in a head-spinning swirl. A little sister? Tohru? He liked her. Yes, he loved her. But what kind of love was it? If she would become his sister, that would be their relation to the end. The rest would be left to someone else. For the first time Kyou thought how he really felt for her. He had always known someday it would come to this and he knew who the "someone else" was. But he had been afraid of the results. Would he be content to have her as a sister or would he want something else?  
  
Carefully he looked at her. She didn't apparently yet really believe her ears, just stared at Shishou with unbelieving expression but not really seeing him. Little sister. Little sister. Little sister...? Had he himself really heard right? He turned back to Kazuma and met his steady gaze. The man that was like a father knew exactly what he was thinking. He understood perfectly Kyou's contradictory feelings. But did he himself understand them?   
  
Kyou closed his eyes. Memories flashed through his mind. Pictures, voices, smells, feelings. Her astonished face when she for the first time had seen him change form. Her eager voice when she told she wanted to be friends. Her real interest for his martial arts talk, the real trying to understand him. Her tears when she said she wanted to go back to Shigure's house. The feeling of her hand in his a while later when the three of them walked home. Swirling shards of recollections went on. She, offering to share an umbrella on that morning. Her soothing words less than twenty-four hours later, telling him she wanted to be with him even after she knew... Their relationship up till now... And somehow he knew, he always had known.  
  
Slowly the words sank also into Tohru's consciousness. Kyou's little sister? She? She was dreaming, it had to be a dream! She would be so happy... But what would Kyou think? Would he approve? They were friends but would he want her as so close family member? And that would also mean that Shishou-san would become her father...  
  
A small smile began to grow on Kyou's face. Yes, a little sister. That would be just perfect. That would be exactly as it should be. He would take good care of her for sure. Again he looked at the girl on his side, grinning happily.  
  
Abruptly Tohru, still deep in thoughts, felt a hand tousle her hair and shot her head up. "That would be fun, or what do you think?" Kyou was grinning down at her. For a few seconds she still gaped at him, waiting for alarm clock to set off and wake her to cook breakfast. But it never did. The dark yard of Souma Main House was still surrounding her, everyone's eyes were still fixed on the two of them and Kyou was still standing there, smiling gently, one hand on her hair.  
  
"Yes!" She smiled with real and almost unbearable happiness filling her heart and spreading through her whole body.  
  
Tsuzuku...  
  
Waa, there you have it! Sorry for those who expected it to be Hatori, but this was my intention from the very beginning. In fact the original idea was to have Yuki to come pick her up from the hospital... But in move is the future and so Hatori took her home so I had an excuse to have him present when she told her news. (He would have been even if no one had suspected him to be the chosen one.) (No, I'm not a SW-fan, but I have seen the movies...)  
  
I'm very sorry that they might have been a bit out of character during the discussion at Shigure's. That part was really hard to write. You also might have noticed that my writing style changed a few times. That's because I have spent days and days off and on work.  
  
I've made up my mind to ground this solely on the anime. I'm very strict that fics that aren't AU must keep to the facts. This way it's lot easier to make sure everything is right. The manga still hasn't ended even in Japan so I won't try my luck. And most of you haven't read it yet, I suppose. :) So, no spoilers on the manga! But I couldn't keep myself from adding some little hints that can be understood only after reading the manga.  
  
And for my wonderful reviewers:  
  
RUNIC KNIGHT: Who wouldn't want to take her? If you just think how much most Soumas like her. And her cousin... You'll see. Thank you for your information. *feels still stupid* You are a life-saver!   
  
FRIEND OF SHIPPOU: Sorry, good guess but wrong. I hope you are content with this. But you were right, little Tohrus better not live at the Main House. This solution is perfect because her "Oniisan" lives at Shigure's, too.  
  
And sorry I took so long to update!  
  
FURYGRRL: Thank you, thank you, thank you!  
  
INVISIBLERAIN: Thank you for your review. Neat... very neat... Hey, I got an infection! o_O Not really, just kidding! :) But thanxie anyway!  
  
LADY KARA: Thank you for all your information on the game! You are a treasure! And I'm really glad you like this so much. Sorry about the guardian, but I originally got the idea to this fic when I thought that Yuki was the right one for Tohru, but Kyou would have deserved her to. And I and my sister both agreed on that Kyou was a lot like older brother to her. Then I got the idea and started typing... And here you are, altough I had sworn never to write a fic... ^_^'  
  
I hope to hear from the all of you again! And I'm hoping to get some anonymous reviews too, now that everyone can write them!  
  
I'll be doing my best with the story from now on too, but because the chapters are getting quite long it'll take more time to write them. I hope you have patience!  
  
Oh, one question to everyone! Do you people want any fluff here (will be mostly if not solely Y/T)? I have some in my sleeve and this should be romance so... But I'm no good at writing it (very unromantic person, sorry). If I'll stick to this adopting matter this fic is going to end in few chapters but I have some ideas so I could go on, too, if you want. I even have got some ideas for sequels... Scary!   
  
Upsie daisy, it was more than one question and written quite long. Did you read it all? Thank you if you did and even more if you answer!  
  
Ja, mata! 


	4. There's still the everyday life to atten...

Again: Gomeeeeeeeeeeen, mina-san! I really would like to update more often but my teachers seem to have a conspiracy against me or perhaps against one of you. Does anybody think he/she might have some teachers bearing a grudge? Hopefully not. And there seems to be time looming on the horizon.   
  
Hey, almost no one answered my question! Do you want this to be shorter or longer?! This chapter decides it and I'm not asking anymore. The longer version it shall be. Originally I thought this might not be longer than four or five chapters, but here we are, not yet halfway through. And on the top of that the chapters are awfully long! Hope you don't mind... (I have never heard of a person who would mind long chapters.) :)  
  
I have the story line quite clearly in my head and would like to get over with this before Christmas because I have a one-shot Christmas-sequel for this in my mind. if it will be one-shot... ^_^' Without teachers telling me to keep my writings within some limits, it always seems to turn out like this...  
  
Disclaimer: Telling this sometimes feels funny because everyone knows it anyway, but I don't own Fruits Basket. I don't need it, not even my favourite characters, as long as no one comes to kill me from using them a bit. Getting one copy of original manga would be nice, though...  
  
Oh, and if you need these:  
  
"speaking"  
  
'thinking'  
  
~flashback~  
  
WHO WOULD WANT AN ONIGIRI?  
  
Chapter 4: THERE'S STILL THE EVERYDAY LIFE TO ATTEND  
  
Tohru opened slowly her eyes. Some dream she couldn't quite remember still playing hide and seek on the back of her mind. She rubbed her eyes and remembered staying up late. Then she actually woke up. Yes, yesterdey, one of the most eventful days of her life and counting that she had already lived at a house full of domestic and visiting Soumas that was lot to say.  
  
First the news about Grandfather and then the evening... She sighed happily as she remembered it all. Kazuma's smile as he had looked at her and Kyou's grin when he tousled her hair. Her father- and brother-to-be. It wasn't a dream, was it?  
  
Tohru looked around and saw open books on her table. No, she remembered sweatdropping, it wasn't a dream and she still hadn't finished her homework. She had stayed up till half past eleven to get them done. The alarm clock was showing 05:23. It wasn't going to set off before six o'clock, but she didn't feel tired at all. Odd, after such a day one would suppose to be tired to death. Slowly she got up from under the warm blankets and began dressing still thinking of yesterday's night.  
  
They had rejected Hatori's offer to drive them home and walked instead. But before parting from him they had made the fixed today's timetable. Hatori, Kazuma and Shigure would be meeting Akito by the noon, then go to the hospital by four o'clock. Tohru had forgotten that their class meeting had been exceptionally moved to three o'clock today, but they would follow as soon as possible.  
  
She sat down by her desk and did the remaining homework. Had she forgotten something? No, she hadn't... Or? But now she would have to make the breakfast. She went downstairs with a song whose lyrics she couldn't remember playing in her head.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Half an hour later she had everything almost ready and waiting when Kyou walked in from the garden.  
  
"Oh, Kyou-kun, good morning," Tohru said happily. "Were you out already?"  
  
"Morning. I woke up around five o'clock and couldn't sleep anymore so I got up and took a walk," he explained stretching his muscles.   
  
"You are such a morning person."  
  
"Not really, it was just today. What's for breakfast?" (AN: Actually, as far as I know he is.)  
  
"We have miso and okonomiyaki and- Oh, good morning, Yuki-kun!"  
  
The boy didn't answer. His hair was in a mess and he looked like sleepwalking. In fact he likely was doing exactly that. He sat himself beside the table and seemed to fall back asleep.  
  
"Speaking of morning persons... If his fan club would see him now!" Kyou said sarcasticly. "I'll take a shower before breakfast."  
  
"Okay," Tohru answered, rattling in the kitchen. "This'll be ready in fifteen minutes."  
  
She heard Kyou shut himself into the bathroom. Yuki went on drooping by the table while she set it. She stopped to look at him for a moment. He was kind of cute even now, although he looked quite blown up. 'Aww, no! He doesn't like to be considered cute. I must not think that! But he still is...' she thought returning to the kitchen and turning her attention to the last okonomiyakis.  
  
"Aa, Tohru-kun, Good morning! This smells so good," Shigure said coming from the hall with morning's newspaper in his hand. "Did you sleep well? We came home a bit late yesterday and you seemed to do some homework after that." He continued dropping the newspaper on the table.  
  
"Good morning, Shigure-san! Yes, I slept well and I think I got it all done," she answered taking the last savoury pancake from the frying pan and placing it on a plate. 'I did, didn't I?'  
  
"Good. Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun spent half of the evening writing some essay, but..." Shigure's voice disappeared toward's the toilet. Tohru stood in the kitchen with frying pan in one hand and cooking sticks in the other, stiff from head to toes. 'I did forget after all! How could I~! I'm sorry mother! I'm so stupid. And of all the possible teachers it has to be for Nukata-sensei' She leaned to the wall with the chopsticks holding hand.  
  
"Honda-san, are you feeling all right?"  
  
"Ah, Yuki-kun. Did you wake up? I hope you slept well," she said spinning around.  
  
"Yes, thank you." He answered smiling. "But," he then continued looking at her closely, "could it anyhow be that you forgot the essay?"  
  
Tohru flew red. "In fact... I did," she said looking down and feeling her face grow even hotter.  
  
"I thought you might have, with all that happened yesterday it's really great that you have done any homework at all" he answered understanding. He turned to his school bag that had been left downstairs yesterday and dug out something. "Here, I wrote this after I finished my own."  
  
She took the paper from him. An essay, lacking the finishing touches, written in his steady, neat handwriting. "What...?"  
  
"It's an outline of a an essay. You should have time to copy it on lunch hour. If there are places where you would say something in a different way, do it. Edit it so it looks like your own," he said smiling.  
  
"But- But, I couldn't you have done the most of the work and-"  
  
"Honda-san, you know Nukata-sensei, he's the nastiest teacher we have and you are one of his favourite victims to begin with. I know it's a bit cheating and you don't want to do it because of that but there's enough going on anyway around already you so just take it."  
  
"But still, all the bother..." she began. He was so nice and thoughtful, even after he had finished his own schoolwork...  
  
"It was no problem, really. Take it, please. If you won't do it for yourself then do it for me. I don't want you to be yelled at after you have had so much to endure already," he insisted gently. Tohru felt a slight flush rise on her cheeks. He really looked like a prince again.  
  
"I- Thank you so much! Can I do anything for you in change?" she thanked smiling brightly. 'I'm sorry mother, only this once...' But somehow she knew that her mother would have liked this idea.  
  
"Just don't let Nukata-sensei get at you and keep smiling like that and I'll be happy" he answered smiling one of his real smiles. "Just kidding!" he added when she flew deep crimson.  
  
They both laughed remembering the evening at the onsens in the spring but Tohru felt a little twinge due to his words. Why did that joke seem to hurt?  
  
"You two seem like lovebir-" Shigure began emerging suddenly and stopping equally suddenly in the middle of sentence when the newspaper hit him on the face. "Yuki-kun that's so mean!" he moaned.  
  
"Why don't you just shut up?" Yuki asked irritatedly.  
  
"What's cooking?" asked Kyou coming in a towel around his shoulders and orange hair wet.  
  
"Oh, Yu-"  
  
"Nothing," Yuki interrupted his black-haired cousin.  
  
"The breakfast is ready!" Tohru announced Coming from kitchen with the okonomiyakis. Three smiling faces looked up at her from around the table. 'Mother, these people really are like my family already.'  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"What? You going to be Kyon-Kyon's sister??!!!" Arisa exclaimed when Tohru ended her explanation on yesterday's incidents. They were sitting on a bench on the campus area eating their lunch.  
  
"That sounds extremely interesting," Saki commented, not sounding surprised at all. "But will it really be all right? There's something strange in the waves of all members of Souma family."  
  
"It will, I'm sure it will! And I don't think there's anything strange in Shishou-san," Tohru assured feeling a twinge of guilty. 'If you knew everything I do you might not think the it all right at all...' "But before I forget, don't say anything to Momiji-kun and Hatsuharu-san. We have agreed to keep it down for the time being."  
  
Saki watched her closely and Arisa raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Okay, we promise. But we will have to come to see this 'Shioshou-san' of yours. Just to make sure that he's really good enough for you!" Arisa said firmly.  
  
"Yes, we must indeed. We could come over already on the weekend."  
  
"Well, I- It's... I mean-" Tohru stammered flushing.  
  
"Okay, perhaps not this weekend. When would it be better?" asked Arisa seeing Tohru's reaction.   
  
"Well, I don't know yet... It might take a while..." the shorter girl answered looking down.  
  
"Very well," said Saki. "Tell us when we won't be on the way."  
  
"Yes, of course I will. I'm really sorry-"  
  
"Don't be," Arisa snorted but smiled then. "Hey, you can tell us straight if it's not all right. When you have a family it means you have to adapt to that family's comings and goings and it's not your fault. If you say that person is nice we trust your word and if he isn't I'm gonna get the Carrot Head for having such a father"  
  
"Yes, Tohru-kun," Saki said looking gently at Tohru. "We are yaour friends and we love and protect you with all our might."  
  
"Thank you so much, Uo-chan, Hana-chan!" Tohru smiled brightly. Then she remembered. "Oh my god, the essay!" she exclaimed snatching her bag and beginning to dig in it.  
  
"What?" Arisa asked. "Oya oya, that was very nice of the Prince," she laughed after a little more explaining. "Very nice indeed," she repeated looking very meaningfully to Saki over Tohru's bend head.  
  
Tohru found the papers and pen at last but when she drew them out something dropped to her feet. Saki bent down to pick it up.  
  
It was the letter Tohru's aunt had given her yesterday but she had forgotten it as completely as she had the essay.  
  
"Wakaura Sonomi," Saki read the sender's name. "Who is it?"  
  
"In fact, I don't remember. It sounds familiar but..." Tohru answered frowning hard.  
  
"How about opening it and checking what it says?" Arisa suggested.  
  
"Yes, I just forgot it yesterday because so much happened. I think I have time to open it now and will still get the essay done in time," Tohru opened the envelope under her friend's watch and began reading:  
  
My dear old students,  
  
I hope you are all doing well. Do you still remember me? I used to be   
  
your teacher on your first school year. It has been 10 years since then   
  
and I thought it would be nice to meet again. Therefore   
  
I invite you all into a class meeting on the 15th of October.  
  
I have got permission to use our old classroom. I hope everyone who   
  
Has the possibility will come.  
  
Please call me to tell you are coming so I know how many people there   
  
is going to be.  
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Wakaura Sonomi  
  
Under the name there was a telephone number. Tohru gave the letter to Arisa and Saki to read. Old memories ran through her mind. She had been picked on a lot by the boys although she didn't know why. She had been so childish and naïve. And Mother had been alive... But she had changed, everyone changes so much-  
  
"You aren't going, are you?" Arisa asked frowning.   
  
"Eh?"  
  
"The first school years? Weren't you picked on all the time back then?"  
  
"I think I have heard that, too, but Tohru-kun never speaks much about herself or her past." Saki said.  
  
"Well..." Tohru began, sweatdropping. "It might have been a bit rough then but I'm sure everyone has grown up a lot along the years. I think I could give it a try," she smiled.  
  
Arisa raised her eyebrows and Saki looked at her closely.  
  
"It's all right, really!" Tohru went on convincing them. It still seemed she wasn't succeeding too well, but luckily she remembered her actual work. "Aa! The essay! I'll have to write it now or I won't make it in time!"  
  
It was still ten minutes before the next lesson when she got it done. Together the girls started towards the classroom. Arisa and Saki walked a bit ahead. Tohru came after them humming happily the tune from the morning.  
  
She wasn't as happy as she seemed, though. Old memories rammed up from the back of her mind. Arisa had been right, she had been picked a lot when she was little. 'But it has been so long since then, sure everyone had matured and-'  
  
"Honda-san?" called a female voice.  
  
Tohru almost jumped and turned hastily to a middle-aged unfamiliar teacher she had just passed but not noticed. "Yes!"  
  
"That song you were humming... Would you sing it aloud?" the teacher asked and abruptly Tohru could place her. She taught music, one of the subjects Tohru wasn't taking.  
  
"I- I'm very sorry but I don't know the words..." she stammered dimly aware that her two friends had stopped and stood now a few meters behind her.  
  
"Then some other song. It is rather your voice than that song I am interested in," the teacher insisted.  
  
"I don't think I can any other songs either-" Tohru began but was interrupted when someone came from behind, grabbed her on upper arms.  
  
"Yes you do, Tohru! My song, you know my song. You haven't forgotten it, have you? Sing my song!" Momiji had appeared as from nowhere and was now hanging to her sleeves dangerously close.  
  
Tohru would have wanted to tell him to be careful and cringe but unfortunately she couldn't do either of those. In a matter of fact there was only one thing she could do. Luckily there was no one around except herself, Momiji, Saki, Arisa and the teacher who had had quite an expression on her face when Momiji made his sudden appearance.  
  
First very quietly but then with growing courage she sang:  
  
"Yuuhi no o-yama ni  
  
Deru deru Momiji  
  
Kaeru ya tokage ga  
  
Konnichiwa"  
  
(On the mountain in the evening sun  
  
Comes out, comes out Momiji.  
  
Frogs and lizards say  
  
Hello.)  
  
"Oh," said the teacher. "Oh. Quite a funny and peculiar song. But that's not important. Your voice- Oh no, the bell's ringing. Can you come to meet me after school?"  
  
"I'm very sorry but today I'll be in great hurry-"  
  
"Well then, I'll be waiting for you in the music class room tomorrow on the first break," and the teacher hurried on.  
  
"Whoa, what was that?" Arisa asked, amazed.  
  
"It seems to me that Mizuda-sensei, who teaches music, stopped Tohru-kun on her way to class and was very interested in her singing voice. She made Tohru-kun sing a funny song made by Souma Momiji-kun and then told her to meet her at the music class tomorrow on the firs break," Saki stated, cool as cucumber.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Yuki walked up to the front of the class. He had quite a lot to tell them but he would have to do that in a minimum amount of time. He had already told the other class representative that something urgent had turned up and he would have to leave as soon as possible. There would also arise another problem when this meeting would end, but he didn't want even think of it yet.  
  
"Well, everyone, please listen," he began. "Today we have quite a lot to tell you."  
  
"We have big news but before that..." continued his female classmate. Next five minutes were spent going through the list of some common announcements and such. Yuki waited patiently. The class didn't really seem interested but he could see that most of them had heard rumours of what was about to come. Not all of them, Kyou was yawning, Hanajima Saki sat straight as ever and looked at the two standing in the front but in reality paid less attention on them than Kyou did, Uotani Arisa was sprawling over her desk without slightest trace of interest. In fact the only one really listening was Tohru, who would likely have had the best excuse not to but he noticed that she was squeezing a watch in her hand.  
  
The girl beside him fell silent and rearranged her glasses and Yuki opened his mouth. "As some of you might already have heard, the student council has been preparing a surprise. Now we are going to announce what it is." He paused to let the tension rise a bit. "On Friday two weeks from now there'll be a Masquerade Ball in the school"  
  
His words were like a starting shot in sports competition. Loud mumbling filled the classroom and even he had to raise his voice to regain their attention. "Quiet, please, be quiet. I have quite a lot to tell you about this."  
  
At last the class were more or less - mainly less, it seemed - listening to him. "The planning is complete and everything possible is already taken care of but we'll be hoping to have your help from now on. Roughly the plan is this: first year students will be taking care of refreshments, second year students do the decorating and third year students will have the maintenance of order."  
  
He fell silent and the other class representative took over. "The Ball will be kept in the assembly hall. We would like to have all kind of decorating ideas from all of you. If you have any write or draw them down and bring to us by next Wednesday before the meeting of student council," she said. "Yes, Kinoshita-san?"  
  
Yuki's Fan Club's vice president had raised her hand. "How about the pairing? Does one have to have a partner? Or should you come so well disguised that no one can recognise you and then just dance with someone?"  
  
"We were about to speak about that. You don't need to get a partner beforehand, but everyone will have someone. On the door everyone will be given a piece of paper with a number on it. There'll be two pieces with every number, blue for a boy and red for a girl. You'll pin those to your costumes. Ready pairs will get the same number and the ones who come alone will draw a random number and then search for their partner. This way we'll try to make sure everyone will have a partner."  
  
Mumbling rose again and this time Yuki had to bang a book on the teacher's desk to get the attention. "Quiet, everyone! Please be quiet!" 'Why today of all the days of the year? 'he pondered while begging them to shut up.   
  
"There are some minor problems with this but they will all be overcome," he continued after the class was quiet again. "To avoid those problems we would have to know quite precisely how many people there will be. Would everyone who IS coming raise their hands?"  
  
Almost everyone did.  
  
"Thank you. Then about the program." Yuki went on. "We would like to have students of our own school performing there. Those who are interested in singing or playing some instrument in the Ball please register to Mizuda-sensei, the music teacher before next week's Friday,"   
  
The class started blabbering again but his words had also more unexpected effect. Abruptly Hanajima Saki's eyes were fixed on him, Uotani Arisa straightened up and the expression on Tohru's face went from surprised understanding and then to startled one. At the moment Yuki couldn't even look worried but he would have to ask about it later.  
  
"Now, if anyone has any questions?" he continued after the class was quiet again.  
  
"Can we bring partners from outside the school?" asked the boy sitting behind Hanajima Saki.  
  
"Yes, if you want to bring a partner from outside the school you'll have to go to write that person's name and your own on the list outside the student council's room. This is mostly for us to be able to keep track on how much people there will be coming. Still more questions?"  
  
No one asked anything and the moment Yuki had waited and feared was at hand. The meeting would end. He stood stiffly as the other class representative said the last words, ready to run as soon as he could. His bag was still on his desk. He would have to make it there, grab it and go away through the door on the back of the class. 'I hope that Honda-san and Kyou will get the point. If they won't...'  
  
"...for your decorating ideas. This was it for today. See you tomorrow!" said the girl beside him. Students began getting up and collecting their things while lively chatting filled the room.  
  
He had barely had time to take the first step when the first female voice's called to him: "Yuki-kun!" and abruptly almost every girl in the class seemed to be calling to him. "Yuki-kun, have you already got a partner?" "Who will you be going with?!"  
  
Never loosing his calm appearance he fought his way towards his desk giving them answers that weren't really answers at all but would hopefully shut them up for a while. Tohru and Kyou had got the point and were already waiting for him outside the door. There was something very comforting in Tohru's worried expression.  
  
Yuki got his bag and was almost out of the class when someone grabbed his sleeve and it was close that the girl didn't get to hug his arm. Gracefully he avoided her, turned to the class and said clearly:   
  
"I'm very busy with everything right now and won't even think of my partner-to-be for at least a week. Now I'm in hurry so if you would excuse me." And he turned and marched out of the class.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Three men walked through the corridors of the hospital. Hatori walked a bit ahead of Shigure and Kazuma. He was as expressionless as ever, but inside he considered the morning's events. It was clear Akito hadn't been at all pleased of having Kazuma take Tohru's guardianship but had been forced to approve due to good reasoning. Hatori could understand well why the head of Souma family had been irritated. Kazuma wasn't only exactly what Tohru's grandfather had asked for, he was also exceptionally good at protecting people from Akito and other hostile family members. Thank to him Kyou's childhood had turned out happier than for example Yuki's and considering who was cat and who was mouse that was really something to say.  
  
They come up to the door of the Grandfather's room and he lifted his hand to knock but stopped. From inside the room they all could hear muffled voices. Normally the door wouldn't let anything through but inside a presumably young man was almost yelling at someone.  
  
"... saw it clearly. She left the building with a MAN. Do you understand? An older MAN! Are you still going to insist that she's decent and innocent and earns her money a respectable way not to mention how she earn her keep in that house?!" he sounded almost spitting out the words 'that house'.  
  
In the corridor the three men looked at each other. They couldn't hear the answer but when the young man began again a woman's voice rose to oppose it, or at least it seemed like that. Only half aware what they were doing the three men leaned a bit forward to hear better. Although the woman had first seemed to go against the young man the few words they could hear proved that impression wrong. Obviously she just had told the boy not to yell.  
  
Again the men outside exchanged glances. "Shigure," Hatori hissed. "If you say a one stupid or two-minded thing..."  
  
"Ha-san, your mistrust is like a dagger in my heart!" Shigure whispered back, seemingly very, very hurt but then got back his cunning smirk. "Shall we go?"  
  
Kazuma nodded, his expression unreadable and one more time Hatori rose up his hand to knock. The room fell silent and then an old man's voice called: "Come in!"  
  
Inhaling deeply Hatori opened the door and the trio walked in.  
  
Tsuzuku...  
  
  
  
Waa, it's done! One more chappy done! Was it boring? I go far too much to details when I write (that's why the chapters are so long) and this consisted much just of introducing some things needed later in the story. On the top of that I have been writing this since I posted the last chapter! Confound it all with all the homework! Thanks for all the reviewers! You have given me so much strength! I will write this to end even if it kills me!  
  
About this chapter:  
  
Now they really were OOC because I haven't had so much time to think all this over. I would have wanted to give Momiji more lines but didn't have the time nor space.  
  
That teacher's letter was horrible but I'm not good at writing thet kind of things. Sorry.  
  
I don't know if there's music in Kaiwara (or is it Kaibara) High, ie. Tohru's school, but as far as I know there might well be although no one of the main characters has it. And about Momiji's song, that's my own translation and it's not too good. Nor are any that I have ever seen in the Internet or on the DVD or fansubs. THe song is very funny but also almost impossible to translate to any other language (I didn't even try the two following phrases...) and therefore you all should learn some Japanese!  
  
Hey, hey, just come to my mind! When did you begin to suspect that Tohru's new guardian would be Kazuma? Did anybody get it with the characters or had everybody guessed by the time he spoke out?  
  
And then to my beloved and always more than welcome reviewers:  
  
FRIEND OF SHIPPOU: Thank you! I'm so happy you liked it! I was worried that you would have preferred Hatori. I'm so sorry I couldn't update sooner.  
  
MIMATO-CHICKY-CHICK: Here's a new chapter! Please review again. Please, please, please! :)  
  
FURYGRRL: Sorry, not yet much about the effects of her being adopted. In fact it might be not much will come out in this fic but the possible sequels... (And this was supposed to be my first and last fic!!! ^_^' Anyway, I'm soooo glad you like it!  
  
STEELBLADE: Thank you, I will!  
  
INVISIBLERAIN: Good you are pleased with the guardian. Don't worry. Kazuma seems to be awfully good at protecting Kyou from akito and the rest of the family and what makes you think Kyou might not protect her? As for Yuki... Well, love for someone can give an unbelievable strength. I don't like her relatives either, so they certainly won't leave the ring as the winners. ^-^  
  
LADY KARA: That's why I'm writing this. ;) Weren't you too supposing it to be Hatori? Good you liked this outcome! Thank you for your review and hope to hear of you again!  
  
JOANNE: Thank you, sorry I didn't sooner.  
  
SUNFLOWER000: Ano, moshikashite nihon-jin? Hey, if you are going to write this kind of reviews please send them via e-mail! You have guessed my intentions very well. Both family-fluff and Yukiru coming up! I'm quite sure you already can guess some of the Yukiru stuff after reading this chapter. :)   
  
Your review really saved an extremely gloomy day! Please review again!  
  
TALLY: Good grief! You almost had me frightened! Yes, older brothers are there to save their little sisters (at least in CCS and this fic) and Tohru is kawaii enough to have a boy or two asking her to the ball. :)  
  
I'm really sorry this took so long time! I'll do my best to update more often but with the chapters getting longer and longer... Gomennasai!  
  
SHADOWCAT15: Wow, someone guessed it would be him! Did understand it when he entered the stage or already before there was a one word said of him? 


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